悪者|わるものwarumono[0]heiban (flat)

1. nounbad guy; villain; evildoer; scoundrel
   いない者ものがいつも悪者わるものになる。↗

   The absent are always in the wrong.

• Synonym悪玉あくだまNeutralRefers to the bad side, usually paired with 「善玉」, as in 「悪玉コレステロール」; 「悪者」 is more common and covers bad people in general.
• Synonym悪党あくとうNeutralA scoundrel, and can also mean his gang or accomplices; stronger than 「悪者」. In history it also denotes forces that resisted authority in medieval Japan.
• Synonym悪役あくやくNeutralThe villain's part in a play or story, also figuratively the hated figure in an organization; 「悪者」 covers bad people generally, in fiction and real life.
• Synonym悪人あくにんNeutralSomeone who does evil or is wicked at heart, the opposite of 「善人」; close to 「悪者」 in meaning, which also appears in 「悪者にされる」.
• Synonym敵役かたきやくNeutralThe character who opposes the hero in a drama or story; 「悪者」 is not limited to roles and also refers to bad people in real life.
• Synonym極道ごくどうNeutralCovers wrongdoing or a life of debauchery, and by extension the underworld; 「悪者」 just means a bad person, with no debauchery sense.
• Synonym悪徒あくとWrittenA written word for someone who does evil or violates morality, though rarely used even in writing; 「悪者」 is the everyday term, also in 「悪者にされる」.
• Synonym悪漢あっかんWrittenWritten word for a man who does evil, with an old-fiction flavor; 「悪者」 is not limited to men and is more common.
• Related凶漢きょうかんWrittenWritten word for a violent criminal or assassin, as in 「凶漢に襲われる」; 「悪者」 covers bad people generally without stressing violent acts.
• Related凶賊きょうぞくWrittenWritten word for a vicious robber or bandit, rare in writing; 「悪者」 refers to bad people of all kinds.
• Relatedならず者ならずものNeutralA rogue or ruffian, idle and given to wrongdoing; 「悪者」 is broader and carries no suggestion of idleness.
• RelatedごろつきNeutralThe same word 「ならず者」, also written 「破落戸」, stressing the rogue/ruffian sense; 「悪者」 is broader.
• Related姦人かんじんWrittenWritten word for a crafty, crooked-hearted person, rare even in writing; it stresses cunning, while 「悪者」 covers bad people generally.
• Related姦物かんぶつWrittenWritten word for a cunning, scheming person, rare in writing; 「悪者」 is more common and broader.
• Related奸賊かんぞくWrittenA literary, archaic word for a wicked, crooked-hearted villain; in everyday speech say 「悪者」.
• Related人でなしひとでなしCasualColloquial insult for a person with no humanity, a brute; 「悪者」 is milder and not necessarily an insult.
• Related匪賊ひぞくWrittenWritten word for bands of plundering bandits, with a historical flavor; 「悪者」 covers bad people generally, not just organized robbery.
• Related匪徒ひとWrittenWritten, legal term for a gang that uses violence or threats, or for its members; 「悪者」 is broader.
• Related梟雄きょうゆうWrittenWritten word for a ruthless, formidable figure, carrying some recognition of ability; 「悪者」 is purely negative and says nothing about ability.
• RelatedよたものCasualColloquial and contemptuous, for an idle good-for-nothing with bad habits; 「悪者」 is broader and not limited to layabouts.
• Related性悪しょうわるNeutralDescribes a nasty, mean character and can serve as a quasi-adjective; 「悪者」 is a noun referring to a person.
• Related極道者ごくどうものCasualColloquial abuse for someone steeped in wrongdoing or debauchery, rare; 「悪者」 is the everyday word for a bad person.
• Antonym善人ぜんにんNeutralA kind-hearted person, also a naive pushover; the opposite of 「悪者」 on the good–evil axis.
• Antonym正義の人NeutralA plain way to say someone upholds justice and acts uprightly; the opposite of 「悪者」 on the right–wrong axis.

For a bad person in everyday speech, 「悪者」 is the default, also in 「悪者にされる」 (to be cast as the bad guy). 「悪人」 is close in meaning. For a villain's role in a play or story use 「悪役」 (or 「敵役」 for the hero's opponent); for a rogue or ruffian, 「ならず者」. The many written compounds (悪徒, 悪漢, 凶漢, 姦人, 匪賊 …) are rare literary words for specific kinds of evildoers. The antonym is 「善人」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 悪わるさをする者もの。悪漢あっかん。
2. 未熟みじゅくな者もの。